An Albuquerque city councilor is pushing to create a committee that she says would clear up confusion between the different city and county jurisdictions. The proposal could also open the door to land annexations.
Councilors approved Councilor Klarissa Peña’s proposal to create a Boundary Area Advisory Committee during their Nov. 18 meeting.
Yes: Joaquín Baca, Dan Champine, Tammy Fiebelkorn, Renée Grout, Dan Lewis, Klarissa Peña, Nichole Rogers, Louie Sanchez
No: Brook Bassan
Peña said the committee would help identify areas where there is a mix of city and county-owned property — referred to as “checkerboard areas” — and which agency is responsible for services and maintenance in the areas.
“So this really goes a long way to help an underserved community to be able to identify that… and then look at areas where we can just maybe incorporate it into the city, or incorporate it into the county, where it makes the most sense,” Peña said.
Some councilors deal with jurisdiction issues more than others because their districts butt up against the county areas in question.
Tom Menicucci, a policy analyst for the council, said the confusion with the boundary areas has been a long-term problem in the city — especially in Districts 2, 3 and 4, where next door neighbors can be on either side of county and city boundaries.
“[The legislation] is basically just trying to pull people together to begin dissolving these long-term issues,” Menicucci said.
Peña recounted a time in District 3 when streetlights were only installed on one side of the street because the other side was outside of city limits.
Councilor Joaquín Baca said he has had similar issues within his district and constituents have called him confused about why their trash has not been picked up, unaware they reside in the small parcel of county land.
“There are sections in District 2 where every other house is city, county, city, county — It’s ridiculous,” Baca said.
Council President Dan Lewis said he was concerned with the provision that would allow the committee to evaluate and recommend land annexations.
“I am uncomfortable with a county commissioner bringing an agenda to this advisory committee on an area in my district,” Lewis said. “I don’t see a whole lot of accountability here to the council in evaluating and talking about land swaps in my district.”
The committee would include staff from the city, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, Albuquerque Metropolitan Flood Control Authority and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.
The city’s chief administrative officer and the county manager, “if the manager so chooses, will provide staff and resources, as necessary and appropriate, to assist the committee,” according to the bill.
The committee would meet quarterly and its duties include the following:
- Study and advise member agencies on best practices to provide coordinated and effective services for boundary areas.
- Receive and review testimony from residents of the boundary areas as to the manner that infrastructure deficiencies and service delivery issues impact their businesses, homes, neighborhoods and properties.
- Propose plans and processes to improve infrastructure and service delivery to the boundary areas.
- Evaluate and recommend areas for possible land swaps and annexations for the purposes of streamlining services.
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